Samson's Strength and Yours: God Gives Power for a Purpose

Welcome back, carpool family. I'm so glad you're here. I'm Pastor Justin and we're talking about something really cool, strength, and not just the kind you use to open a jar of pickles. We are talking about the God-given strength that Samson had. Here's the one thing for the ride I want you to remember. God gives us strength to do what he calls us to do. In the Book of Judges chapter 14, verse six, it says, the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Wow, that's a pretty dramatic verse. Could you imagine facing a lion and winning? That sounds like something out of a superhero movie. But here's what's important. Samson's strength didn't come from armor he wore or a super serum that he took. It came from God. It wasn't about how many pushups he could do or how big his muscles were. God gave him the strength through the Holy Spirit, and God did it for a reason: to help him protect and lead his people. God is known for giving people exactly what they need to do something important. He did it with the prophets. He did it with David, the young boy who would become king. And for Samson, he did it, and it was physical strength that he gave him. For you, it might be the courage to stand up for a friend in front of a bully. The wisdom to make a good choice when everyone else might be doing something wrong. Or the boldness to speak truth to a friend when they really need to hear it. God gives us different kinds of strength for different purposes, but always to help us follow him and bless others. If Jesus were here, he'd probably say something like, the gifts God gives you aren't just for you. They're to help others. That's what I love about the gifts God gives: your talents, your strengths, your creativities, and even your big ideas. They're not just for fun or getting noticed. They're meant to bless others and bring glory to God. My son is an incredible artist. Every year for my birthday or Christmas or really whenever, there is a new art piece, something that he made with his own creativity, and I love it. It's such a blessing to me. That's a way that he uses his God-given creativity and talents to bless others and bring glory not to himself, but bring glory to God who gave him those skills, those talents, and those abilities. So if you are good at art, make art for people. If you're good at encouraging, include someone who feels left out. If you're strong, use that strength to help, not hurt. And when we use our God-given gifts with love, we are living the way Jesus would. One day when I was a kid living in Buffalo, New York, it was a snowstorm. When my mom and I came back from the grocery store, it was snowing everywhere. You could barely see. When we got home, I helped her bring in the groceries and I used every bit of my strength to carry as many bags as I could so she wouldn't have to go in and out. I didn't have superhero strength, but I had a big heart to serve my mom and help her. That's the kind of strength God gives you too. Maybe it's the strength to stand up for someone or to say no when something isn't right. Samson's strength looked big and loud. Yours might look kind and brave. God gives us strength to do the right thing, not to show off or to be the strongest kid in gym class, but to love others and do what God calls us to do. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Parents, if you love this podcast, post a photo on Instagram. Tag us in it. We would love to see it and repost it too. Before you go ask each other this. What's one specific way I can use the talents that God gave me to bless someone else today? I'll see you tomorrow on carpooling with Jesus.